Four days of science, conversations, and community—with the people searching for better answers for Lyme patients.
For people living with Lyme disease, access to knowledgeable care can change the course of a life. That is why Tick Boot Camp returned to the 2026 ILADS Annual Scientific Conference as the official podcast partner: to bring conversations with clinicians, researchers, and advocates beyond the conference walls and into the hands of patients and families.
Held October 22–25, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Dulles in Herndon, Virginia, near Washington, D.C., the 27th annual gathering of the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) centered on “Reframing Complex Disease: Pathways to Treatment.” Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen were there to record, listen, reconnect—and serve as co-emcees of the ILADEF Gala, “A New Season of Hope.”
Our purpose throughout the weekend was the same purpose behind every Tick Boot Camp interview: validate patient experiences, build community, share knowledge, and help people believe that healing is possible.
The Official ILADS Podcast: Bringing the Conference to the Community
Our on-site studio became a meeting place for people eager to share their work and experience. A sign outside invited attendees to “Share Your Expertise” through complimentary interviews and identified Tick Boot Camp as the official conference media partner for the third year running.
Demand grew enough that Matt and Rich conducted two interviews in parallel, extending our coverage through overflow conversations. Those additional recordings helped us hear from more voices while the main studio remained busy.
The result was a mix of focused podcast conversations, short video updates, and conference moments. Some guests returned with updates since earlier appearances; others brought new perspectives. These recordings will continue reaching the community as our 2026 LIVE from ILADS interviews and conference coverage are released.
On large conference-room screens, ILADS recognized that partnership with a message that captured why we were there:
“Tick Boot Camp is our official podcast partner, helping amplify ILADS experts and educate audiences about Lyme and tick-borne diseases.”
Lyme Leadership That Keeps Patients in the Conversation
One of the weekend’s most meaningful exchanges came when Matt spoke with Dr. Eboni Cornish of Amen Clinics, ILADS President-Elect, about her leadership and efforts to bring Lyme disease into the national conversation. Her response to the recognition was simple: “It’s all of us.”
That answer reflected the collaborative work visible throughout the conference. ILADS President Dr. Steve Harris, ILADEF President Dr. Garth D. Ehrlich, Executive Director Sarah Quillen, and colleagues across specialties helped bring together a community willing to ask difficult questions and learn from one another.
In her own conference update, Sarah Quillen, Executive Director of ILADS and ILADEF, described expanding membership, the scope of conferences, and educational opportunities across healthcare disciplines. For patients who have struggled to find someone familiar with tick-borne illness, the effort to train more professionals carries practical importance.
Inside the 2026 ILADS Scientific Program
The conference explored infections, immune dysfunction, neurological symptoms, pediatric illness, diagnostics, environmental exposures, and clinical decision-making. Its theme encouraged clinicians to consider how different factors may interact in complex cases.
Neuroinflammation, Brain Health, and Psychiatric Presentations
Thursday’s “Neuroinflammation, Infection and the Brain” track included Dr. Richard Horowitz’s presentation on neuroinflammation and phosphorylated tau in a patient with chronic Lyme disease; Dr. Cornish’s BRAIN-guided framework for treatment intolerance; and presentations by Dr. Chris Winfrey and Dr. Napatia Tronshaw-Gettings on neuropsychiatric illness.
Friday’s general session featured Dr. Daniel Gregory Amen, the American physician, double board-certified psychiatrist, and founder and CEO of Amen Clinics. His presentation, “Hidden Drivers of Mental Health Symptoms: Medical Causes Behind Psychiatric Presentations,” fit a recurring question across the weekend: what might be missed when physical and psychiatric symptoms are considered separately?
Dr. Jill Carnahan addressed the cell danger response and mast cell activation, while Dr. Garth Ehrlich presented on the Lyme brain pathobiome. These sessions offered a forum for examining clinical observations and research questions, with the goal of better understanding people whose symptoms cross traditional specialty boundaries.
Pediatric Lyme, PANS/PANDAS, and Neuroimmune Conditions
Dedicated pediatric tracks explored subjects that matter deeply to families seeking answers. Dr. Somer DelSignore presented a vascular-immune-mitochondrial model of Bartonella-associated pediatric autoimmune encephalopathy. Dr. Lindsey Wells addressed cerebral folate deficiency and evidence concerning folate receptor autoimmunity in vector-borne disease.
Other sessions examined pregnancy and chronic illness, pediatric coinfections, and neuropsychiatric presentations. Readers can explore related conversations through our interviews with Dr. Somer DelSignore on pediatric Lyme and neuroimmune illness and Dr. Lindsey Wells on folate, autism, and PANS/PANDAS.
Diagnostics, Coinfections, and Whole-Person Clinical Reasoning
Saturday’s general session, moderated by Dr. Amy Offutt, included Babesia, the MyLymeData patient registry, pathogen identification in post-mortem tissue, and emerging diagnostic approaches. Dr. Casey Kelley presented on endothelial cell impairment in chronic infection.
Parallel tracks expanded the discussion to mast cells, hormones, reactive patients, environmental illness, mold, peptides, pain, and regenerative approaches. Drs. Melanie Stein and Vy Simeles addressed treatment sequencing for reactive tick-borne disease patients.
The conference concluded with “Beyond the Protocol: Clinical Reasoning, Sequencing, and Reassessment in Complex Tick-Borne Illness.” Moderated by Dr. Thomas Moorcroft, the workshop featured Drs. Amy Offutt, William “Bill” Rawls, and Sabine Hazan in case presentations and audience discussion. It emphasized evaluating the individual patient and reassessing care as circumstances change.
Research Conversations Beyond the Lecture Hall
Poster presentations and exhibit-area conversations gave attendees another way to exchange ideas. The guide’s Hall of Knowledge included work on babesiosis practice patterns, vector-borne pathogens in urban fleas, Borrelia extracellular vesicles, neuroinflammation, and a mast-cell-directed treatment case report.
Ashok Gupta, MA (Cantab), MSc, founder and CEO of the Gupta Program, shared a poster on amygdala and insula retraining in mold-related illness. The program uses a neuroplasticity-based brain retraining approach designed for chronic immune and inflammatory conditions. His poster presented preliminary results from a randomized controlled trial.
Between sessions, the exhibit space brought together clinicians, nonprofit organizations, and companies offering educational resources, diagnostics, and other tools.
NutraMedix on Supporting Practitioners
Our short video with John Weatherspoon and Lee Wilkinson of NutraMedix captured their perspective on returning to ILADS over many years. They discussed practitioner education and their range of herbal tinctures and supplements, including products marketed for microbial defense, detox support, and biofilm support.
Advocacy, Research Funding, and Access to Care
Our coverage extended beyond clinical practice to the organizations working to improve the conditions in which patients seek care.
In a 15-minute overflow podcast interview, Jennifer Katritos, CEO of Global Lyme Alliance (GLA), shared her vision for rigorous research that addresses gaps in knowledge and has a path toward helping patients. A short excerpt introduced that message; the full conversation will be released on the Tick Boot Camp podcast.
Center for Lyme Action: Bringing Patient Priorities to Congress
Deanna Lebel, Government Relations Manager at Center for Lyme Action (CLA), described educating congressional offices and advocating for federal action on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases.
She also introduced CLA’s Infection-Associated Neuropsychiatric Conditions (IANC) white paper, developed with the National Alliance for PANS and PANDAS Action, covering Lyme disease, Bartonella, PANS, and PANDAS.
CLA is led by our friend Meghan Bradshaw, Executive Director, with co-founder and board director Bonnie Crater, who also co-founded and co-chairs Bay Area Lyme Foundation.
Learn more about Center for Lyme Action’s advocacy and opportunities to get involved.
An Update on the ILADS–HHS Collaboration
On the conference stage, Kristen Honey, PhD, Chief Partnerships Officer at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), presented an update on the ILADS collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The guide described the collaboration as focused on awareness, education, information sharing, and access to care, including clinician locator tools and digital infrastructure.
Matt and Rich Co-Emcee the ILADEF Gala: A New Season of Hope
On Saturday, October 24, our work moved from the podcast microphones to the gala stage. Matt and Rich were honored to co-emcee “A New Season of Hope,” benefiting the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Educational Foundation (ILADEF).
The evening combined dinner, silent and live auctions, a patient testimonial, fundraising, music, and dancing. Sherry Truhlar of Red Apple Auctions led the live auction and appeal, while Kate Gelatt shared a patient testimonial. A spirited auction-card toss added a playful moment to a special giveaway.
The conference celebrated Dr. B. Robert Mozayeni as the recipient of the 2026 ILADEF Pioneer in Lyme Award, recognizing his longstanding contributions to understanding complex, inflammatory, and tick-borne diseases.
The purpose behind the celebration was concrete: support research and education, including ILADEF’s physician and allied healthcare training programs. These one-on-one mentorships give qualified professionals an opportunity to shadow experienced training physicians and develop clinical skills.
Live Music and a Moment to Celebrate
Groovalicious brought its ’70s dance and disco revival to the evening. After days of serious conversations, the music offered another kind of connection: colleagues, advocates, and friends sharing a moment of joy.
The dance floor brought doctors and leaders together for a celebration of community and shared purpose. These moments of joy belonged alongside the research discussions, patient stories, and fundraising that shaped the weekend.
The People Who Made ILADS 2026 Possible
The weekend also meant reconnecting with friends across the Lyme community: clinicians we have interviewed, advocates who help families find support, and communicators who bring these stories to wider audiences. Photos with Anna Roberts of Moresco PR, Ali Moresco, and colleagues throughout the conference capture that human side of the work.
Behind it all was a staff team affectionately known as the “ILADS Unicorns.” We are grateful to Leslie Rose, Sarah Quillen, Jenni Moyer, Scott Kersh, Whitney O’Donnell, and Suzanne Sousa for the work that made this gathering possible—from education and membership to finances, conference logistics, and the countless details attendees rarely see.
Keep Following Tick Boot Camp’s LIVE from ILADS Interviews
Being the official ILADS podcast partner is an opportunity to make conference conversations accessible to people who could not be there. Co-emceeing the ILADEF Gala was another way to support the education, research, and community behind that mission.
We left ILADS 2026 with new recordings, renewed connections, and a continuing commitment to the people still looking for answers. You deserve to be heard. You deserve thoughtful care. And you deserve a community that keeps asking questions alongside you.
Explore Tick Boot Camp’s ILADS interviews and conference coverage for short clips, updates, and full conversations as they are released. You can also browse our Lyme disease doctor interviews and researcher conversations for related perspectives.
